Cable that arrives as specified, drum by drum

Every line below has a reference construction, a cross-section drawn from its layers and a standard packing on a drum tag. Power and building constructions come from a partner plant catalogue; fibre and data constructions come from public datasheets. Each one is a starting point that the desk turns into your spec sheet. If your cable is not listed, send the standard or the designation from your drawing and the desk will match a plant that makes it. Start with the cable types guide if you are choosing between families.

A cable is defined by its layers: conductor class, insulation and its thickness, screens or armour, fillers and tapes, the outer sheath and what is printed on it every metre. The section ring on each product page numbers those layers; the table beside it shows the typical options and which ones can be changed for your order. The drum tag shows how the reference construction is normally packed: length per drum, metre marks, approximate net weight and drum type. Both are reference values that the desk confirms on the spec sheet and the packing list. Sizing still depends on your installation method; see the cable sizing guide.

China's cable industry is concentrated in a few places, and each one is strong in different products. The desk shortlists partner plants by product, standard and test capability rather than by distance.

• OP1Industry clusters Which cluster makes which cable: power, special, fibre and data regions, with sourced figures.Open page
• OP2Factory audit What the desk checks before a partner plant is shortlisted: lines, lab, materials, records, certificates.Open page
• OP3Production process Each step of power and fibre cable making, and the check that belongs to it.Open page

Cable pricing follows copper. Most plants quote copper (or aluminium) price plus a processing fee, and quotes are short-dated, so the order of steps matters: the spec sheet is fixed first, copper is booked against the agreed quote, and the drum plan is set before production so that lengths, metre marks and weights match your site. Read how the cable pricing guide explains copper-linked quotes.

1. S1BriefConstruction, standard, cross-sections, total metres, drum length, port.
2. S2ShortlistPartner plants in the cluster that makes that cable, with their test lab and listings.
3. S3Spec sheet and sampleLayer-by-layer spec, marking text, drum plan; sample length or trial drum.
4. S4Copper and productionCopper booked against the quote, production slot, routine tests per drum.
5. S5Drum check and loadingLength, print, end caps, test records and lagging checked before the container is closed.

The most important cable test is also the simplest: conductor DC resistance against the IEC 60228 limit for the declared size. Regulators and certifiers keep finding cables that are short on copper; one UK warning described armoured cable whose effective cross-section was up to two sizes below the marking. The desk asks for routine test records per drum, checks third-party reports and certificates in the certifier's public database, and inspects length, print, diameter and packing before loading. Typical checks are listed on the quality control page.

• OP4Quality control Which tests apply per drum, per batch and per construction, and how the desk checks them.Open page
• OP5Testing and inspection What is checked on drums, coils and boxes before loading, and how witness tests work.Open page
• OP6Compliance Which compliance route each market uses, who holds the certificate, and how it is verified.Open page

A distributor restocking standard sizes, a marketplace seller shipping 305 m boxes and a contractor working from a bill of quantities need different things from the same factories. Each program page sets out what the desk prepares for that buyer.

• BY1Brand owners Own-brand building wire, cords, LV power and LAN cable with fixed print, packing and documents.View program
• BY2DTC brands Patch cords, Cat6, PV cable and storage leads for online brands: small runs, retail packing, test data.View program
• BY3Marketplace sellers 305 m Cat6 boxes, patch cords and PV coils with solid copper conductors, labels and carton checks.View program
• BY4Distributors Stock ranges of LV power, armoured, control cable and building wire with planned drum replenishment.View program
• BY5Wholesalers Mixed-size containers of building wire, cords, LV power and solar cable with standard coils and drums.View program
• BY6Retailers Coiled building wire, flexible cords and LAN cable in shelf-ready packs with clear consumer labels.View program
• BY7Sourcing agents Cable specialist support for agents: plant checks, report and certificate verification, inspection.View program

Buildings, solar farms, industrial plants, distribution networks, data centres and FTTH roll-outs each pull from a different mix of lines and standards. These pages map the cable to the job.

• US1Buildings Final circuits, sub-mains, fire circuits and data in buildings: lines, standards, coils and drums.Open page
• US2Solar PV farms DC strings, inverter AC, MV collection and monitoring cable for PV plants: lines, standards, drums.Open page
• US3Industrial plants Armoured feeders, control, instrumentation and safety circuits for plants: lines, standards, drums.Open page
• US4Utility grids MV feeders, aluminium LV distribution, substation control and ADSS fibre: lines, standards, drums.Open page

What the layers do, how they are tested and which choices change price, weight and lead time.

• EN1Conductor materials Copper or aluminium, Class 1 to 6, plain or tinned; DC resistance limits that prove the size.Open page
• EN2Insulation and sheaths XLPE 90 C or PVC 70 C insulation; PVC, LSZH or cross-linked sheaths with thickness and tests.Open page
• EN3Armour and screens SWA, STA and AWA armour; copper tape, wire and braid screens; what each adds in weight and steps.Open page
• EN4Fire performance EN 50575 CPR classes, IEC 60332 flame spread, IEC 60331 and BS 8519 circuit integrity, NEC ratings.Open page
• EN5Fibre types G.652.D and G.657 single-mode, OM3 to OM5 multimode, cable builds, TIA-598 colours and test records.Open page

A plant tour shows extruders and drums. The records show whether the cable will match the spec. When the desk qualifies a partner plant, these are the details we ask to see, and the ones worth asking any supplier for:

• Copper and compound sources. Rod supplier, compound grades for PVC, XLPE and LSZH, and how a batch is traced to the drum.
• Routine test records per drum. Conductor resistance, spark or voltage test and, for medium voltage, partial discharge to IEC 60885-3.
• Type test reports and certificates. Which constructions and size ranges they actually cover, and their dates.
• Drum ledger. Drum numbers, lengths, start and end metre marks, gross and net weights, matched to the packing list.
• Marking control. Sheath print text, metre marking accuracy and how print errors are handled.
• Fibre test data. Attenuation per fibre and OTDR traces for fibre cable drums.

The factory audit page lists the full checklist.

Power cable is commonly made from about 500 m per size, Cat6 commonly from 50 to 100 boxes of 305 m, and solar cable from 100 m coils to 500 m drums. These are reference ranges from plant listings; your MOQ, lead time and drum plan are confirmed in writing for each order. No prices are published here, because a cable price without a copper date is not a price. Send a brief and the desk replies with matched factories and the reference MOQ.

• OP10MOQ and lead time Typical MOQ ranges per line, sample terms, and the four things that set cable lead time.Open page
• OP8Packaging and drums Wooden, steel-wood and steel drums, coils, 305 m boxes and fibre reels, set in a written drum plan.Open page
• OP9Logistics and shipping FOB, CFR or CIF from Ningbo or Shanghai, drum and pallet loading plans, lashing and export documents.Open page